Howrah–Kharagpur line

The Howrah–Kharagpur line is part of the Howrah-Nagpur-Mumbai line, Howrah-Chennai main line and Kolkata Suburban Railway.

Howrah–Kharagpur line
Overview
StatusOperational
LocaleWest Bengal
TerminiHowrah
Kharagpur
ServicesHowrah-Nagpur-Mumbai line and Howrah-Chennai main line, Kolkata Suburban Railway
Operation
Opened1900
OwnerIndian Railway
Operator(s)South Eastern Railway
Depot(s)Tikiapara, Santragachi, Panskura, Kharagpur
Technical
Track lengthMain line: 115 km (71 mi)
Branch lines:
Mecheda-Haldia: 81 km (50 mi)
Tamluk-Digha: 94 km (58 mi)
Number of tracks3 (Howrah-Panskura),
3(Panskura-Kharagpur),
2 (Panskura-Rajgoda)
Track gaugeBroad gauge 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in)
ElectrificationMain line: 25 kV AC overhead system in 1967-69
Operating speedMain line: up to 160 km/hr

Geography

The line runs through the plains of West Bengal. From Howrah, it is first the Gangetic plains and then the basins of the Damodar, Rupnarayan and Kangsabati, thereby traversing Howrah, Purba Medinipur and Paschim Medinipur districts.[5][6]

Kolaghat Thermal Power Station, with its six tall chimneys, one for each of the 210 MW units, is a landmark on this line.[7]

Haldia dock complex handled 31.015 million tonnes of traffic in 2011–12.[8] Haldia Refinery, one of the eight operating refineries of Indian Oil Corporation, was commissioned in 1975.[9] Haldia Petrochemicals, a modern naphtha based petrochemical complex and the second largest project of its kind in India, has been a catalyst for the development of a large number of downstream industries.[10]

History

Bengal Nagpur Railway opened to traffic its main line from Nagpur to Asansol in 1891. Sini, on the Nagpur-Asansol line, was connected to Kharagpur and Kolaghat in 1898–99. The Kharagpur-Cuttack section was also opened the same year. The Kolaghat-Howrah track was completed in 1899–1900. Kharagpur was connected to Howrah with the opening of the Rupnarayan bridge on 19 April 1900.[11]

The Panskura-Durgachak line was opened in 1968, at a time when Haldia Port was being constructed. It was subsequently extended to Haldia. Haldia Dock Complex, a part of Kolkata Port Trust, was commissioned in 1977.[11][12]

The Tamluk-Digha line was opened in 2004.[13]

Electrification

The Howrah–Kharagpur line was electrified in 1967–69. The Panskura-Haldia line was electrified in 1974–76. Santragachi-Bankaranayabaj sector was electrified in 1984–85. All lines were electrified with 25 kV AC overhead system.[14] EMU train services between Panskura and Haldia introduced in 1976 and direct EMU services between Howrah and Haldia in 1979.[11]

New lines

Indian Railways propose to lay a new line connecting Sealdah and Haldia, with the distance being shorter by 70  km than the Howrah-Haldia track.[15]

There is a plan to connect Digha to Jaleswar on the Kharagpur-Puri line.[16]

The Howrah-Kharagpur stretch has three lines.[17] There is a plan to build a fourth line for the Santragachi-Panskura-Kharagpur stretch.[16]

Car and loco sheds

There are EMU car sheds at Tikiapara (for Howrah), Panskura and Kharagpur. Kharagpur has a diesel loco shed which houses WDM-2, WDM-3A and WDM-3B locos. Nimpura (for Kharagpur) has an electric loco shed. Santragachi has an electric loco shed and also an outstation trip shed. It houses WAP-4 and WAP-7 locos and can take in 50+ locos. Santragachi also has arrangements for rake maintenance. Kharagpur has workshops for loco, carriage and wagon overhaul.[18]

Speed limits

The main line is classified as a "Group A" line which can take speeds up to 160 km/hr. The branch lines have speed limits within 100 km/hr.[19]

Railway reorganization

The Bengal Nagpur Railway was nationalized in 1944.[11]Eastern Railway was formed on 14 April 1952 with the portion of East Indian Railway Company east of Mughalsarai and the Bengal Nagpur Railway.[20] In 1955, South Eastern Railway was carved out of Eastern Railway. It comprised lines mostly operated by BNR earlier.[20][21] Amongst the new zones started in April 2003 were East Coast Railway and South East Central Railway. Both these railways were carved out of South Eastern Railway.[20]

Passenger movement

Howrah and Kharagpur on this line, are amongst the top hundred booking stations of Indian Railway.[22]

References
  1. Google maps
  2. Kharagpur-Howrah Local 38606 Indiarailinfo
  3. Howrah-Haldia Local 68689 ⇒ 38089 Indiarailinfo
  4. Santragachi-Digha EMU 78001 ⇒ 68687 Indiarailinfo
  5. "Howrah District (1909)". IRFCA. Retrieved 10 April 2013.
  6. Guha, Abhijit. "Land, Law and the Left: The Saga of Disempowerment of the Peasantry in the Era of Colonisation". page 28. Concept Publishing Company, New Delhi. Retrieved 10 April 2013.
  7. "Kolaghat Thermal Power Station". The West Bengal Power Development Corporation Limited. Retrieved 10 April 2013.
  8. "Cargo Statistics". Kolkata Port Trust. Archived from the original on 5 September 2013. Retrieved 10 April 2013.
  9. "Haldia Refinery (near Kolkata, West Bengal)". Indian Oil Corporation. Retrieved 10 April 2013.
  10. "Haldia". Archived from the original on 3 December 2013. Retrieved 10 April 2013.
  11. "Major events in formation of S.E.Railway". South Eastern Railway. Archived from the original on 1 April 2013. Retrieved 10 April 2013.
  12. "Haldia" (PDF). Indian Railways. Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 January 2013. Retrieved 10 April 2013.
  13. "Digha Trip Report". IRFCA. Retrieved 10 April 2013.
  14. "History of Electrification". IRFCA. Retrieved 10 February 2013.
  15. "Rail survey on new port route". The Telegraph, 28 June 2011. Retrieved 10 April 2013.
  16. "Upcoming projects in South Eastern Railway". South Eastern Railway. Archived from the original on 1 April 2013. Retrieved 10 April 2013.
  17. "Howrah-Pune AC Duronto Express". indiarailinfo. Archived from the original on 18 November 2015. Retrieved 10 April 2013.
  18. "Sheds and Workshops". IRFCA. Retrieved 10 April 2013.
  19. "Chapter II – The Maintenance of Permanent Way". Archived from the original on 3 December 2013. Retrieved 10 April 2013.
  20. "Geography – Railway Zones". IRFCA. Retrieved 10 April 2013.
  21. "IR History: Part - IV (1947 - 1970)". IRFCA. Retrieved 10 April 2013.
  22. "Indian Railways Passenger Reservation Enquiry". Availability in trains for Top 100 Booking Stations of Indian Railways. IRFCA. Archived from the original on 10 May 2014. Retrieved 10 April 2013.
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